Death investigation
inside a jail or prison - Mickey Mouse Investigations? -
A
prison death related investigation is a complicated process, which involves a
number of different members of the assigned investigative unit or department as
well as other forensic disciplines working together towards the goal of solving
the case and determine whether or not it was a suicide, homicide or a death of
natural causes.
Unfortunately,
crime scene inside a prison is not as meticulously performed as it is on the
outside as there are many minor violations performed that tramples on the
evidence gathered. The most common mistake is “communications” – the moment a
body is found, the detention or correctional officer or first responder does
not take into consideration it is a crime scene and results in serious errors
made that may affect the outcome of determining whether or not a crime had been
committed.
On
the outside, the outcome of a case is determined by the active participation of
first responders trained in crime scenes and how to handle evidence or other
specific responsibilities. Inside jails or prisons, there is no such quality
control or emphasis placed on such urgent needs to abide by specific protocols.
Many don’t know how to preserve a crime scene according to the protocol
established for best practices and or training of officers.
Compared
to the participation of officers, detectives, medical examiners and forensic
experts, a death investigation is hardly ever an elongated process and is
rather short in all actuality. In reality, a homicide is almost treated the
same as a suicide as there are simple investigative mistakes made that leads to
the wrongful conclusions of such findings. Culturally speaking, due to the
frequencies, the tone is mundane, and urgency is often lacking to commit in
details.(Mind you, there are exceptions to this rule, as there are some good
investigators out there who want to find the truth but are politically hampered
to do so.)
One
must wonder why the culture is so permissive in the manner deaths are handled
inside jails or prisons and it really comes down to the ideology, the political
will and the need to find the truth in order to summarize how a carefully a
death case is completed. This is the vital key to any core value of the
investigations conducted. The deliberate attempt to design a desirable outcome.
Mistake
– Assuming the Case is A Suicide Based on the Initial Report – inside prisons,
this approach carries a very heavy responsibility to ignore such initial
reports. The truth is, there is a traditional bias established with all
involved that causes a direct apathetic approach to the means to find the facts
or truth related to the death.
Once
the call is made it is a “suicide” the whole approach is changed and critical
errors begin. An assumption begins a chain reaction that is rarely stopped long
enough to reconsider the cause of death. In most cases, the criminal
investigator called makes an assumption by the intimal report of an unqualified
first responder or individual that the cause of death was a suicide.
This
preconceived notion changes theories and hamper effective investigative tools.
Any preconceived theories or notions are dangerous in professional death
investigation. In addition to errors of assuming a “suicide” or natural death
other preconceived notions may include deaths, which appear to be drug related
and/or domestic violence. Inside prisons, there are no detectives available to
handle the call – there are criminal investigators called who rarely have the
special skills of a detective to determine a suicide, homicide, drug overdose
or natural death has occurred.
With
a 90 per cent chance of the crime scene being disturbed, this poorly-skilled
investigator is already having to deal with a condition that markedly restricts
one's ability to function physically, mentally, or socially as there are many
barriers in place that would not be present in a similar situation on the
outside of prisons.
First
of all, there are usually more witness found or contacted in the free world
than the imprisoned world and if there are witnesses in the prison world,
culturally speaking, the art of snitching is unacceptable as a social cultural
norm.
Secondly,
the tampering with evidence, although in most cases, not deliberately, hamper
genuine efforts to the fact-finding process.
Thirdly,
the initial responders, including administrative personnel are quick to declare
a death as a suicide to lessen vicarious liabilities involved and prepare to
make reports of such in writing and gather the statement in the spirit of a
suicide rather than the possibility it was a homicide or anything else other
than a natural death.
Suicides
are non-amenable offenses that are not recorded in same matter homicides are,
therefore are considered less important than other events. Without a doubt
investigators take “short-cuts” when they hear the word suicide. I have
reviewed many suicide cases where it was apparent that the investigators did
not take each point to its ultimate conclusion. Sufficient photographs were not
taken and certain tests were not conducted. In some instances the deaths were
suicides, but the incomplete and insufficient preliminary investigation raised
legitimate concerns.
Mistake
– Failure to Conduct Victimology as it pertains to both suicide and homicide
investigations is significant in ascertaining motives, suspects and risk
factors. In suicide cases, this becomes paramount in determining Motive and
Intent.
Does
the victim fit a “Suicide Profile?” Was there any evidence of marked depression
or suicide ideations? Did the victim have both short and long term plans? However,
the major element of a ‘suicide profile” is whether or not there is a mental
health history documenting prior attempts or suicide ideations documented in
the file.
“Victimology”
is the collection and assessment of all significant information as it relates
to the victim and his or her lifestyle. Personality, employment, education,
friends, habits, hobbies, marital status, relationships, dating history,
sexuality, reputation, criminal record, history of alcohol or drugs, physical
condition and neighborhood of residence are all pieces of the mosaic that
comprise victimology.
The
bottom line is “Who the victim was and what was going on in his or her life at
the time of the event.” The best sources of information will be friends,
family, associates and neighbors and that will be the initial focus of the
investigation. In this case, this step is frequently or deliberately omitted
and rarely actively pursued as other inmates interviewed related to his
behaviors prior to his time of death, will not talk about it and spend their
time watching television, sleeping, working out or listening to headphone and
not paying attention to what is happening around them.
When
such information appears, the case becomes streamlined and the “assumption” of
suicide speeds up to the delivery of the report and unless the coroner or
medical examiner concludes differently, the case is closed. The failure to
consider other options become automatically moot and causes an apathetic mood
to continue this case. This often results in a lack of effort to find a weapon,
re-examine the injuries or wounds, or the existence of a motive or intent on
the part of the victim’s cellmates to take a life.
Since
a suicide is often a prefixed conclusion on mental health history or recent
reports of being desponded or depressed, the emphasis to look for evidence
contradictory to a suicide is almost never done. Injuries and wounds in
suicides may be very similar to those observed in homicides. However, certain
observations that the wounds found on the body are consistent with homicide or
suicide should be made.
Remember:
It’s not the number of wounds that are self-inflicted, but the lethality of
these wounds and what particular organs have been impacted. In a logical
deduction, there are several things that need to be done in order to avoid
wrongful assumptions in deaths.
This
includes the failure to properly document any suicide notes, or obtain samples
or the victim’s writings to make sure the note was really written by the victim
and then determine if it was written voluntarily and with suicidal intent.
Since the entire investigation is based on a below par investigator in most
cases, the concentration of cause is often misplaced or misunderstood.
The
major hindrance of the application of a “Psychological Autopsy” might be useful
in drawing conclusions but only if the information obtained for this instrument
is taken concurrent with the event and not after people have formulated an
opinion. This is what separates adequate death investigations from mediocre or
shoddy ones.
Special
notation –
“It
should be noted that the final determination of suicide is made by the medical
examiner/coroner after all the facts are evaluated. However, the investigation
at the scene and an inquiry into the background of the deceased may indicate
the presence of life threatening behavior or activities that suggest suicidal
intent. Of course, the medical examiner/coroner is supposed to avail him or her
of the input of the investigators, who were present at the scene and conducted
the death investigation.” Thus the possibility of a predetermined cause of
death is contagious to the official report of the medical examiner finalizing
the case forever.
Reference
materials:
Vernon
J. Geberth, M.S., M.P.S. Homicide and Forensic Consultant
©2013 Vernon J. Geberth, Practical Homicide Investigation
Originally published by Law & Order Magazine, Vol. 61 No. 1 January, 2013 pp 54-567
©2013 Vernon J. Geberth, Practical Homicide Investigation
Originally published by Law & Order Magazine, Vol. 61 No. 1 January, 2013 pp 54-567
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